Aniline

Aniline, phenylamine or aminobenzene ({{carbon}}{{sub|6}}{{hydrogen}}{{sub|5}}{{nitrogen}}{{hydrogen}}{{sub|2}}) is an organic chemical compound which is a primary aromatic amine consisting of a benzene ring and an amino group. The chemical structure of aniline is shown at the right.

History

Aniline was first isolated from the destructive distillation of indigo in 1826 by Otto Unverdorben (Pogg. Ann., 1826, 8, p. 397), who named it crystalline. In 1834, Friedrich Runge (Pogg. Ann., 1834, 31, p. 65; 32, p. 331) isolated from coal tar a substance which produced a beautiful blue colour on treatment with chloride of lime; this he named kyanol or cyanol. In 1841, C. J. Fritzsche showed that by treating indigo with caustic potash it yielded an oil, which he named aniline, from the specific name of one of the indigo-yielding plants, Indigofera anil, anil being derived from the Sanskrit nīla, dark-blue, and nīlā, the indigo plant. About the same time N. N. Zinin found that on reducing nitrobenzene, a base was formed which he named benzidam. August Wilhelm von Hofmann investigated these variously prepared substances, and proved them to be identical (1855), and thenceforth they took their place as one body, under the name aniline or phenylamine.

Related Topics:
Indigo - 1826 - Otto Unverdorben - 1834 - Friedrich Runge - Coal tar - 1841 - N. N. Zinin - August Wilhelm von Hofmann - 1855

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Its first industrial-scale use was in the manufacture of mauveine, a purple dye discovered in 1856 by William Henry Perkin.

Related Topics:
Mauveine - Purple - 1856 - William Henry Perkin

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p-toluidine, an analine derivitive, can be used in qualitative analysis to prepare carboxylic acid derivitives.

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